BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford sophomore forward Destiney Elliott scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Bulldog women's basketball team pulled away in the second half for a 65-36 exhibition win over Birmingham-Southern Monday night in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
"I really am pleased with what we got out of the scrimmage," Samford head coach Mike Morris said. "Birmingham-Southern came in here and were well coached and had a great defensive plan. Their young ladies played very hard with a tied game at the half. We had to stick to what we were doing, and I was very pleased with how our players responded to the situation."
 
Elliott made 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. She also had an assist, two steals and two blocks in the game.
 
"I thought Destiney did a great job of making some big shots, and of stealing the ball in the second half," Morris said. "We were a lot more aggressive in the second half with what we do. Destiney is a special player, so she can score inside and out. I thought she ignited us a little with some steals and layups."
 
Following Elliott for Samford, Taylor Reece scored nine points and dished out three assists. Freshman Cassidy Williams also scored nine points, while Brittany Stevens added eight points for the Bulldogs.
 
Samford and Birmingham-Southern were tied at 25-25 at halftime. But, over the final two periods, the Bulldogs outscored the Panthers, 40-11.
 
"Those are the kind of things you want out of an exhibition," Morris said. "You want your team to be tested a little bit, and I was pleased with how we responded to the test. Obviously, there are several things we have to improve on, and the exhibition showed us that, and that is a good thing this early in the year."
 
For Birmingham-Southern, Yorisha Bryant scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. Ashley Curry led all players in rebounding with 11, to go along with her three assists.
 
In the first period, after BSC jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, Samford went on a 10-2 run to take a 10-6 lead with 6:20 to go in the quarter following a layup by Elliott. At the end of the first period, Samford held a 17-14 advantage.
 
Birmingham-Southern cut the Samford lead to one point early in the second period at 19-18 with 6:14 to go after a layup by Curry. With Samford leading, 25-22, a jumper by Curry and a free throw by BSC's Jameice Holmes knotted the score at 25-25 heading into halftime.
 
In the third quarter, Samford opened the period with a 15-5 run to take a 40-30 lead with 4:31 left in the period following a pair of free throws by Stevens. After BSC cut the lead to 40-32, Samford scored the final five points of the period to take a 45-32 lead into the final quarter.
 
The Bulldogs opened the fourth period with a 14-2 run to push their lead to 59-34 with 4:02 left following a layup by Ellen Riggins. Overall in the fourth period, Samford outscored BSC, 20-4, giving the Bulldogs the 65-36 win.
 
Overall, Samford made 41.7 percent of its shots, including 48.4 percent in the second half. BSC shot 35.0 percent for the game, but just 17.6 percent after halftime. Samford won the rebounding battle, 36-31.
 
Samford will open its regular season with a game Friday night at 11^th-ranked Mississippi State. The tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. in Starkville, Miss.